ROUND ROCK, TEXAS -- I bought a water heater and the installation services at HD on Wednesday night, they told me that someone was going to install it the next day. Home Depot also told me to measure my existing unit and to call them if my current water heater height or width was more than 4" larger or shorter. I got home I measured my unit and notice that the new unit to be installed was the same width (20") but it was taller, 58" vs. 50" of the current water heater. I called Home Depot and told them that the new unit was 8" taller than the existing one, the person from Home Depot told me that she was calling the installers to let them know and not to worry about anything. Later that day somebody from a plumbing company called and said that they were coming around 3PM. At around 4PM someone from the plumbing company came, he asked where the existing water heater was, I told him that it was located in the attic and showed him how to get to it.

He got into the attic, took some measurements and then came down to tell me that the unit he had in his truck was taller and that this was not going to work, then I told him, didn't someone from Home Depot told you guys that I called to tell them that the new unit was 8" taller, to what he responded...nope, they didn't. So I called Home Depot and told them about the problem, the lady in the phone told me that it was fine, that they were going to exchange the water heater but there was going to be an extra $75 charge for the extra trip...oh boy, that made very upset. I told the Home Depot girl from Home Services that there was no way I was paying $75 more for an extra trip when I followed what they told me about calling them if the size of my water heater was different.

I asked to talk to a manager and to my surprise the manager was very understanding and he told me not to worry about anything, he was going to void the $75 for the extra trip. I was happy. The installer told me then that he was coming the next day with the new smaller water heater to install it. Next day came and the installers called me to tell me that Home Depot never sent the new order and that they still had the same water heater, the tall one. I called Home Depot and they apologized for the inconvenience, they offered to call the installers again and explain everything so they could get the new shorter water heater.

Again, I sat and waited....and waited...and waited. Then I got a call from the installers saying that everything was ready and that they were coming between 2 and 4 that evening. It was 5PM and no one had showed up yet...I called the installers and they told me that the technician that was coming to my house had an accident at a different home while installing another water heater but they also said that they were sending another person at 8PM that night. I was really pissed, I told them that I was calling Home Depot to straighten this up. So I called Home Depot, told them about what happen and they said that they knew how I felt and they apologized, they also said they were calling the installers to make sure they were going to be at my house at 8PM to install the water heater.

At around 7:30PM I got a call from the installers telling me that they were really sorry but they couldn't install my water heater until the next day, Friday...that was it, I got really upset, I told them that this was unacceptable, I explained how I had to stay home that day and the day before to wait for the installer to come home and install the water heater, I explained that I had three small children which were showering with cold water since Wednesday...man I was really upset. The only thing the guy from the plumbing company said was...I am sorry there is nothing we can do, you'll have to wait until tomorrow. OK so I said what time tomorrow and he responded some time between 9 and 5PM...WHAT!

I said never mind, forget about the water heater installation, you are not a professional, you should not be in business, this is unacceptable. I called Home Depot and told them about this mess. The person from Home Depot said he was calling the installers that same moment to find out what was going on. About 15 minutes later I got a call from the guy at Home Depot and he told me that the reason the installers didn't go to my house to install the water heater was because the installer that came to my house the previous day have noticed that I had a problem with venting in the current water heater, supposedly he had noticed that there was carbon monoxide coming into the house...WHAT!! that was it this time I couldn't contain myself, I told them that was BS and that they were obviously lying, I asked the Home Depot to cancel everything and I hanged up.

The next day I went to Home Depot, I asked to talk to the manager, and he was not there, then I asked for the name and phone number of the district manager and everyone I asked told me that they could not release that information to me...they were rude and they told me to come back some other day to speak to the store manager. That happen last Saturday, today is Sunday and I finally got my water heater, I bought the water heater, and my brother in law offered to install it, I helped him and you know what, there was no science to it, it was very simple and now I have hot water again.

Home Depot should do something about controlling the professionalism and customer service offered by the subcontractors they use in Home Services.

I am never using Home Depot or any other big store's installation services for that matter.

STAY AWAY!!

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$660 to replace a $220 water heater that is still under warranty!

Posted by veristes on 12/14/2009

ATLANTA, GEORGIA --

I noticed for some time, a puddle of water repeatedly forming on my basement tile floor......after six months of this, I examined the floor with a strong flashlight and noticed that the bottom of the G. E. hot water heater was rusty and leaking.....Since the unit was still under warranty, I called the Home Depot store from which it was originally purchased....after calling G. E. for suggestions...which were: the heater is still under warranty and we will replace it free of charge. I was satisfied with this and made arrangements to have the unit replaced....I was told that I would have to uninstall the heater and take it to Home Depot for the swap; whenupon, I explained that I was in my mid sixties and had a small Mercedes convertible and asked if other arrangements could be made....after several waits, lost calls and transfers, an arrangement was made that I would pay over $500 and Home Depot would arrange to have someone come to my home and take out the old heater and replace it with an identical unit. I was somewhat annoyed that the "replacement" with installation.....after all, the unit was defective and leaking, after all!......was going to cost more than the original heater, with delivery and installation! I agreed to the proposal, with some reservations. So, today, the chosen contractor....sent by Home Depot, by the way......came by, immediately told me that I had to write Home Depot a check for $663(!)...which I did.....He verified the funds and proceeded to removed the old heater.......Then he told me that I needed to go to the Home Depot store and return the old heater and pick up the new one! I explained that that had already been worked out....That was why I was paying this exorbitant charge, wasn't it. He said "No"......that I had to do all of this. I was furious and felt totally ripped off, and called the Home Depot Store on Ponce De Leon Ave., Atlanta, waited while the operator finished a personal conversation with another operator, then eventually put me through to the store manager or assistant manager. Again, I had to explain what was going on.....The manager spoke to the installation person and told him that he was to take the old unit back to the store and return with the "warranty" replacement and install it......I am currently waiting for him to return and do this so that I can clean up the muddy footprints and the mess that was made during this ordeal......AND.....the cost of all this, my time and worry.....all for a unit that was failing before its "time" ......within the warranty period.......That's why I am now determined to go to any and every message board and complaint blog and express my disapproval of how this was handled. Customer service at Home Depot has really gone down the tubes in the many years since I first began to frequent the old Sidney Marcus Blvd. location where I was always treated fairly and politely. That is no longer the case, is it?

So....I suppose Home Depot considers it fair for me to pony up over $800 to replace a $220 hot water heater.....I feel totally ripped off and intend to express my grievances on any and all message boards and complaint sites that I can possibly locate on the internet and to write personal letters to both Bernie Marcus and Arthur Blank, for what that's worth.....probably very little! So, I am having dinner guests this evening and NO WATER!

addendum: it's 5.40 P.M. and the installer has returned with the new unit to install it. The store manager has agreed to not charge any additional expenses (Over the $660 already charged to me and paid by me) for the replacement. I'm still annoyed and a bit disgusted by all this inconvenience and waste of my time and energy.

Sincerely, Reed Savage

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Beware of Hot Water Heaters

Posted by Diane on 11/10/2012

Rating: 2/51

CARROLLTON, GEORGIA -- I had the Hot Water Heater (I would write the name and make of heater but the TOS agreement seems to suggest otherwise) installed on 9/15/2008 and noticed in August of 2012 that it was leaking. Since it is in the basement I can't be sure when it started. I had a professional plumbing service come and eventually it was concluded that the seam was leaking which means the hot water heater had to be replaced. I called Home Depot because there was a 6 year warranty. Who I spoke with was pleasant but what I was left within terms of their warranty was not. What happened in this situation as in others I assume is that they depreciated the hot water heater and I was responsible financially for the delivery and installation. When added up I might as well pay for a new hot water heater and be able to get one of a different name brand since I did not want the same. I am up in years and have never heard of a hot water heater lasting less than 4 years. Yes, they are still selling these heaters.

I tried to post this on Home Depot's consumer reviews and they blocked it so one might want to calculate when reading these reviews just how many are not there.

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Home Depot/Fast Water Company Install

Posted by Chris on 10/30/2012

Rating: 1/51

SAN CARLOS, CALIFORNIA -- I called Home Depot, who outsources to Fast Water Heater Company. What an experience! The best part if you call Fast Water Heater company directly, the prices are CHEAPER than Home Depot. No surprise, as Home Depot needs their cut.

Regardless, they identify all the code requirements and charge you extra fees for code compliance. This was clearly stated when scheduled, but the upsell charges are RIDICULOUS!

Here where they are scamming customers: $89 to install one bare copper wire. Seriously? This costs less than $20 in materials and 5-10 minutes of labor.

Another example, $119 to install 3 straps. Again, maybe $40 in parts and at best 20 minutes to install.

Third example to prove the over-the-top pricing, $39 for a gas sediment trap with is less than $8 in parts from Home Depot and less than 10 minutes to install.

Fourth example, requiring Expansion Tank at $179 when the part retails for $52.50 and you get online for $29.95.

Are these the type of people who deserve your business? Don't get taken by these guys!

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Home Depot Water Heater Install (Sub Contractor)

Posted on 08/20/2011

KIRKLAND, WA -- So I was quoted $679 for the installation on my hot water heater, which seemed high, but the company was offering a 12 month no interest if charged on their credit card deal, and since finances are kind of tight right now, it seemed worth it.

My house is a 1935 home, and is admittedly not up to code on a lot of stuff. It still has galvanized pipes and most of the repair and installation work prior to me, looks to be DIY.

I would have installed this myself as well, but I am terrified of wiring, and since the water heater had to be wired in, I decided to avoid an electrical shock or fire and have it done professionally.

So the quote was $679 - when they left they ended up charging me $1379. I thought WOW! My house must have really sucked, until I started looking at what I got charged for and how much. The drip pan they "installed" cost me $59. When I looked it up on the internet, it costs $22 max to purchase, and the installation on that is ... sit the heater in the pan.

Everything on the list and the charges they added were 3X cost of the item. I was charged $80 separately for earthquake straps on my heater - every plumber I have talked to afterwards tells me that is something that should have been included with the installation and original quote.

Wonder why I contacted plumbers afterwards? Well I went to take a nice hot shower to wash the stress of paying twice what I thought I was going to pay for the heater, and found out the hot water is not going to my bath tub, which is located 5 feet away from my hot water heater. I called the installation company to ask them to come and fix the issue, and they said since I signed the job complete and in the completion signature there is a block saying that if I have galvanized pipes they are not responsible for their installation to work, I am out of luck and to call a plumber to fix their installation and flush my pipes.

So what I learned was this: Home Depot's sub contractors just suck. Their no interest deal sounds awesome, until you are paying double. Also I learned, don't sign papers until YOU test the item, not just take the word of the installation guy.

The sub contractor for this was: Fast Water Heater Company (Kirkland, WA).

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Plumbing Nightmare

Posted by badservices on 07/06/2011

My water heater stopped working just before the July 4th weekend. I called Home Depot, who had a good price on a small water heater. I liked shopping at their stores, so I wrongfully assumed that their customer service would be just as good for installation. They gave me the price for the water heater, delivery fee and installation. It was a great price. They said the installer would be in contact with me and that I would pay for it once the installation was complete. The installer called me and said they could not come out until July 5th, due to the holiday. An old guy showed up and walked around my basement. He called his boss and told me that he would have to install an electric line for the new heater and the price was $125 more. I agreed. He was to return the next day. He never showed or called. I called Home Depot corporate customer support. I spoke to Jeff who said there was nothing Home Depot could do. It was up to me to call the installer. I asked if Home Depot did not care and if that was the case, what was the point of using Home Depot? He apologized, but said there was nothing more he could do. So, do not use Home Depot for installations. They don't care what the installers do or don't do so there is no reason to use this service.

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Hot Water Heater Scam on Installation

Posted by billg286 on 06/27/2011

I agreed to purchase a 50 gal. 9 Year Warranty GE Hot Water Heater from Home Depot (HD). The price plus installation came to $879. I also checked with a couple of plumbers and their quoted charges for a similar product and installation was $900 to $1000. So, I thought I would go with Home Depot and save a few dollars. (Plus, I had used Home Depot to install the hot water heater it was replacing 10 years previous and the price HD quoted and I paid was the same - $433, wow BIG inflation.) One of the plumbers warned me that they would quote me $879 and before they left they would charge me over $1300. Sure enough, O'Shan Plumbing came out with the heater and reviewed where I was having it installed (in a garage in a raised open faced closet). Within 5 minutes he had come up with different things that was needed and code violations that pushed the price to over (you guessed it) $1300. After I punched the wall and told him that a plumber warned me that this would happen, he packed up his truck so fast and got out of my driveway. I called O'Shan Plumbing and dared them to try to collect their cancellation fee. I was going to every newspaper and TV investigative reporter in the Dallas, TX area. I ate crow and called the plumber that warned me and he installed a better grade heater for $950.

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Life Threatening Installation

Posted by UTgirl on 10/31/2010

HIXSON, TENNESSEE -- I had installers hired by Home Depot install my gas new hot water heater. A pipe connecting the water heater and my furnace fell off and I stopped using my furnace. I hired a friend who has owned a very reputable heat and air service for decades to correct the problem. It turns out that the installers never attached the pipe with screws but only with silver tape. That was it. In the meantime, carbon monoxide was spewing into my garage every time my family used hot water. This horrible "installation" job could have killed my family if left undetected. Do not have Home Depot be in charge of installing your appliance if you value your life. You can't trust who they send out. They are not Home Depot employees and cannot be trusted.

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Home Dept Store does not honor Homedepot.com price for that store - False advertisement

Posted by 2010 Consumer on 04/13/2010

HOUSTON, TEXAS -- I went to Homedepot.com and selected the store location and the water heater that I was going to purchase. It showed a discount price but stated that I couldn't order online and needed to pick up at store. I went to that exact same store and it was the sticker price with no discount. I printed out the copy of web page and talked to the manager. The manager said HD stores do not honor the Homedepot.com price. I said I selected this store and it showed a different price, he just repeated himself. I bought the item at the listed price since I already have the installer lined up.
Why does HD advertise the online price for that store and the store does not honor it, is that false advertisement? I did not call HD headquarter since I know it is a waste of my time. Within that month, I was travelling to another Home Depot store (about 200 miles away) and found that the price is discounted 20% in store, so I just gave them the receipt and got the difference refunded. It does vary by store and the manager at my HD really sucks. But I was so happy to get my money back from another store with absolute NO question asked.

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Do Not Purchase A Tankless Water Heater From Home Depot!

Posted by leslieHM on 01/27/2009

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA -- We purchased a Rheem water heater from Home Depot and have spent literally thousands of dollars on this unreliable product. Neither company will stand behind the product and it is definitely not worth the money or the aggravation.

The tankless water heater was expensive to install and the 'brain' of the water heater has died after only 1 year!